Photography

Free download of HDRI maps in 4k

One of the easiest ways to get nice reflections on any surface, besides turning on the mirror/ray trace property of the material, is with the use an environment surrounding the object. This way we will actually have something to be reflected. For a studio scene this can be solved with the use of large planes emitting light, which results on some really nice reflective surface. And with architectural scenes we can use HDRI maps that depending on the resolution of the map, could result also on some really nice reflections.

If you don’t have any HDRI map, here is your chance to get six of them for free. An artist called Jeff Patton just posted on his blog six HDRI maps in 4K resolution ready to use! Below you will find a sample of one of those maps.

1- In compositor window, check “Material” and “World” buttons (in red), and check “Use Nodes”
2- Add the nodes that you see on the screenshot.
3- Depending on the type of you HDR map (spherical or rectangular), you’ll need to choose the option “Mirror Ball” or “Equirectangular”
4- That’s it ! In 3D View with “Rendered Mode”, be sure to be in “Perspective” and not ‘Orthographic” view, to see the Environment in the background.